A new report claims Maryland native David Rubenstein is in discussions to acquire the Baltimore Orioles.
After an impressive season in 2023, it looks like the Baltimore Orioles are back as a relevant team in the American League. They surprised many with an 83-79 year in 2022 and improved on that in a major way with a 101-win performance this past season. It was the franchise’s first 100-win season since 1980.
Also Read: Shohei Ohtani situation keeps baseball winter meetings interesting
While they were quickly swept out of the playoffs by the eventual champion Texas Rangers, there is reason to believe this team full of young stars like Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman has the potential to be a winning team for years to come. It also means the value of the Orioles is as high as ever.
David Rubenstein in negotiations to acquire Baltimore Orioles
That is why it should come as no surprise that the Angelos family is looking to cash in by selling their majority control of the franchise with it at a new high. On Thursday, Bloomberg broke the news that “Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder David Rubenstein is in talks to acquire Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles, according to people with knowledge of the matter.”
Rubenstein, 74, was born in Baltimore and has been interested in buying a nearby baseball club for some time. Last year it was reported that he let it be known he would buy the Orioles if they were to come up for sale, and previously showed interest in purchasing the Washington Nationals as well.
The highly successful investor is believed to have a net worth of as much as $4.6 billion. The last MLB franchise to be sold was the New York Mets in 2020. Billionaire Steve Cohen paid $2.42 billion for the club and they were seen as one of the 10 most valuable organizations in the sport.
The Baltimore Orioles would likely go for a lower price than the Mets did three years ago.